The Cloud Sea Heavenly Palace's Flood Dragon Reverse Scale and Spacetime Vortex

[System notification: Main quest "The Cloud Sea Heavenly Palace's inheritance trial" activated. Objective: Defeat the Cloud Sea Flood Dragon, obtain the Spacetime Reverse Scale, and unlock a vital clue to the evolution of Heavenly Flames. Time limit: 24 hours. Rewards: Spacetime Affinity talent, Heavenly Flame evolution item Star Fire Seed. Failure penalty: Permanent imprisonment in the Heavenly Palace's turbulent spacetime currents.]

Chapter 1: The Steps to the Heavenly Palace-Cloud and Mist Illusions and the Gravity Field

The Cloud Sea Heavenly Palace floated among the clouds ten thousand meters above the ground. It consisted of countless white jade palaces, connected by rainbow-like bridges. The Cloud Ascending Steps leading to the Heavenly Palace formed a white jade staircase that plunged into the clouds. Flowing mist wound around both sides, and with every step, the surrounding scenery changed-sometimes into a familiar hometown, sometimes into visions of the future.

"These clouds and mist can draw out the obsessions buried in your heart," Xiao Yan said as he stood on the 108th step. An image of Wutan City burning suddenly flashed before his eyes, with his father, Xiao Zhan, struggling amid the flames. "Don't let the illusions fool you! Focus on the stone steps beneath your feet!" He circulated his Dou Qi, and the Elemental Core lit up in his palm. The illusion burst like a bubble.

A golden light flashed through Zi Yan's dragon eyes, and she easily saw through the mist's disguise. "There are Spacetime Spores hidden in this mist. They can disrupt our nerves! My Dragon Phoenix Flame can burn them away!" She beat her wings, sending golden-red flames spreading up the staircase. The scorched mist sizzled, revealing the transparent spores inside. "Keep up! The flames will last half a minute!"

The group charged upward along the path cleared by the flames. Just after they passed the 200th step, the staircase shook violently, and the gravity field suddenly intensified-gravity shot from one to five times normal in an instant. Wu Hao's Space-Splitting Axe crashed onto the steps, and he dropped to one knee, veins bulging on his forehead. "These damned steps... they're even worse than Mechanical City's hydraulic formation!"

[System notification: "Gravity trial" triggered. Gravity doubles every 100 steps. Current gravity: five times normal.]

On Lu Mu's detector screen, the runes on the steps were flashing. "These runes are part of the Star Gravity Formation! If we find the formation's core, we can temporarily counteract the gravity!" He pointed to the grooves at the edges of the steps. "The formation cores are in the grooves on the left side of each step. Inject Dou Qi into them to activate them!"

Xiao Yan immediately injected the Elemental Core's energy into a groove. The moment the runes lit up, the surrounding gravity weakened by thirty percent. "Wu Hao, you take the left and I'll take the right. Activate the formation cores on both sides!" The two divided the work, their Dou Qi flowing along the grooves. The gravity field was suppressed to about three times normal, and the group could finally advance steadily.

When they reached the 500th step, a pack of Cloud Beasts suddenly burst from the mist. Formed from clouds and mist, they resembled fierce tigers, with ice crystals on their sharp claws. Whenever they pounced, they caused localized spacetime stagnation.

[System notification: Cloud Beasts encountered. Level: Peak Dou Wang. Traits: Attacks carry a spacetime slowing effect. Physical attacks pass through them; energy attacks are required to defeat them.]

"Use fire!" Zi Yan's Dragon Phoenix Flame formed a net of fire. The Cloud Beasts evaporated the instant they touched the flames, but before they vanished, they let out a roar that slowed Xiao Yan's movements for half a second-the effect of spacetime slowing. "Watch out for their roars! They can freeze you in place!"

Lin Xiuya's sword was wreathed in Lightning Attribute Dou Qi, its light striking at the pack of Cloud Beasts like lightning. "Finish them quickly! The gravity is still increasing!" The sword light collided with the Cloud Beasts' ice-crystal claws, sending water vapor billowing across the sky. The beasts shattered inch by inch amid the lightning.

When the group finally stepped onto the last stair, the gravity field vanished, replaced by a gentle current of air that carried them toward the Heavenly Palace's gates. Looking back, they saw that the Cloud Ascending Steps were completely shrouded in mist, with only scattered flames flickering in the sea of clouds.

[System notification: Cloud Ascending Steps trial passed. Obtained: Cloud Qi Crystal ×20. Can resist spacetime slowing.]

Chapter 2: The Heavenly Palace Corridor's Spacetime Mirror Images

The Heavenly Palace's entrance was a massive gate covered in star patterns. It opened with an ancient creak. Beyond it was a corridor encircling the palace, where glazed lamps on the pillars cast an eerie blue light, twisting the reflections on the floor out of shape. Stranger still, those reflections moved on their own, doing the opposite of their originals.

"Something's wrong with these reflections," Xiao Yan said, staring at the floor. His own reflection held up an Elemental Core and made a slashing motion opposite to his. "Lu Mu, can your detector find anything unusual?"

On Lu Mu's instrument screen, the reflections' energy readings were identical to those of their originals, but their timelines were marked "reversed." "They're Spacetime Mirror Images, living in a flow of time opposite to ours! When we walk forward, they move backward; when we attack left, they attack right!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than the reflections deeper in the corridor suddenly emerged from the floor and took physical form. Their movements were indeed the complete opposite of the group's. Xiao Yan's mirror image held a pitch-black Elemental Core, and every attack landed precisely in a blind spot in his defense.

[System notification: Spacetime Mirror Image traits: Movements are completely reversed. Attacks carry a spacetime disruption effect. Those struck will briefly fall into a time fragment from the past or future.]

"How are we supposed to fight this?" Wu Hao's mirror image swung its Space-Splitting Axe at his back. He turned to defend himself out of habit, only to be hit from the front by the mirror image. "Damn it! It really does everything backward!"

An idea suddenly struck Zi Yan. She deliberately made a move as if to attack her mirror image's head, and sure enough, it raised its foot to kick her in the abdomen. She was ready for it. Her dragon tail swept across and struck its knee squarely. "Now! Anticipate their reversed movements!"

Xiao Yan watched his mirror image's pitch-black Elemental Core, then suddenly jumped backward. The mirror image lunged forward and missed, just as expected. Seizing the chance, he smashed his Elemental Core into its side. With a bang, ripples spread across its body, and it briefly turned back into a reflection. "It works! Their physical forms are unstable. Strike where their reversed movements transition, and we can defeat them!"

Lu Mu's detector rapidly calculated the mirror images' trajectories. "Their reversed movements have a delay of 0.5 seconds! Take advantage of that opening!" He projected the trajectory chart into the air, with each mirror image's next move marked in advance-Wu Hao's would chop at his left shoulder, Lin Xiuya's would stab at his right leg...

The group followed the trajectory chart, and sure enough, every strike landed precisely on an opening in a mirror image's defenses. When the last mirror image dissolved into blue light, the doors at the end of the corridor slowly opened. Three ancient characters were carved into the lintel: Flood Dragon Hall.

[System notification: Spacetime Mirror Image trial passed. Obtained: Spacetime Calibrator. Can counteract three seconds of spacetime disruption.]

Chapter 3: The Flood Dragon Hall's Ten Thousand Waters Return Flow Formation

The floor of the Flood Dragon Hall was a flowing mirror of water, reflecting the star chart on the domed ceiling. A gigantic silver-white dragon lay on a raised platform in the center of the hall. The Cloud Sea Flood Dragon was a hundred meters long, with scales that shone like moonlight and a diamond-shaped blue reverse scale on his forehead. His eyes were closed, as though he were sleeping, but the water in the hall gathered of its own accord, forming a rotating wall that isolated the platform from the outside.

"He's conserving his strength," Xiao Yan said in a low voice. "The water wall is the Ten Thousand Waters Return Flow Formation. There are spacetime fragments hidden in the current. Touch one, and you'll be swept into turbulent time." He pointed to the images that occasionally flashed through the wall of water-ancient soldiers slaughtering one another, and a futuristic spacecraft exploding. "Those are temporal afterimages left by living beings the formation devoured."

Lu Mu's detector suddenly sounded an alarm. "The formation is absorbing water vapor from the clouds! The water wall is getting a meter thicker every minute! If we keep waiting, we'll never get close!"

Wu Hao swung up the Space-Splitting Axe. "I'll chop straight through it!" The blade struck the water wall with the power of space, only to bounce back. A thin layer of ice even formed on the axe head-the current contained a spacetime chill that could freeze energy.

"Use the Elemental Core's fire attribute!" Zi Yan's Dragon Phoenix Flame fused with Xiao Yan's Heavenly Flame, becoming a golden-red fire dragon that exploded against the water wall. Amid the rising steam, a temporary opening appeared. "Quick! The opening will only last ten seconds!"

Xiao Yan was the first to charge through, the Elemental Core spreading a protective shield around him to block the flying spacetime fragments. Wu Hao and Lin Xiuya followed close behind, axe and sword striking together to split the approaching currents. Zi Yan brought up the rear, her Dragon Phoenix Flame continuously scorching the water wall to slow the closing gap.

As the last person rushed through the opening, the water wall closed with a boom, trapping them all in the circular waterway around the platform. The Cloud Sea Flood Dragon finally opened his eyes, his golden pupils sweeping over the group. The water in the hall suddenly boiled, turning into countless water arrows that shot toward them.

[System notification: Cloud Sea Flood Dragon, level: High-Level Dou Zong, has awakened. Ten Thousand Waters Return Flow Formation entering attack mode!]

Chapter 4: The Secret of the Reverse Scale and Spacetime Reversal

"All who trespass in the Heavenly Palace shall become sacrifices to my time." The flood dragon's voice rang through the hall like a great bell. He raised a foreclaw, and the water in the channel suddenly flowed backward, forming a spinning waterspout that swept Xiao Yan into the air.

Xiao Yan tumbled violently inside the waterspout, the Elemental Core's shield crackling under the pounding current. He noticed a transparent fragment at the center of the waterspout-a spacetime fragment. The instant he touched it, a scene from three seconds earlier flashed before his eyes: he had just rushed through the opening, and the water wall was closing...

"It's a spacetime reversal!" Xiao Yan abruptly came to his senses. "This dragon can control local time!" He hurled the Elemental Core into the center of the waterspout. Five-colored light exploded, throwing the current into chaos, and he seized the chance to flip down onto the edge of the platform.

Zi Yan sent her Dragon Phoenix Flame burning toward the flood dragon's scales, but he easily dodged it. His movements were eerily fast; he could always anticipate the path of an attack. "He's seeing images of the future!" Furious, Zi Yan swept her dragon tail at him, but struck only an afterimage.

Lu Mu's detector suddenly locked onto the reverse scale on the flood dragon's forehead. "The reverse scale is his time core! The spacetime energy there is the most turbulent. Attack the reverse scale to interrupt his predictions!"

"Wu Hao, lend me your axe!" Xiao Yan took the Space-Splitting Axe and poured the Elemental Core's energy into its blade. Five-colored patterns of light appeared across the axe head. "Zi Yan, use your Dragon Phoenix Flame to draw his attention!"

Zi Yan immediately spread her wings, turning her Dragon Phoenix Flame into a rain of fire that filled the sky. The flood dragon raised his head and breathed out a freezing chill, attempting to freeze the flames. The instant he looked up, Xiao Yan leaped into the air and brought the Space-Splitting Axe down hard on his reverse scale, a spatial rift trailing the blade. With a clang, blue sparks burst from the scale. The flood dragon let out a roar of pain, and countless chaotic images flashed through his golden pupils.

[System notification: The Cloud Sea Flood Dragon's spacetime prediction has been interrupted. He will remain disoriented for the next ten seconds!]

"Now!" Lin Xiuya's sword stabbed at the flood dragon's foreclaw like lightning. The sword light pierced his scales, drawing blue blood. Wu Hao seized the chance to grab the flood dragon's tail and pin him firmly against the platform. "Xiao Yan, chop the reverse scale!"

Xiao Yan's Space-Splitting Axe fell again, splitting a crack in the reverse scale. Pale blue light poured out, and when it touched the air, it turned into countless tiny spacetime vortices, drawing the surrounding water into spirals. The flood dragon's body began to tremble violently, and the light on his scales flickered.

"He's going to release turbulent spacetime currents!" Lu Mu shouted. "Quick, use the Spacetime Calibrators!" The group immediately activated the calibrators. A pale white light appeared around them, temporarily shielding them from the pull of the spacetime distortion.

Chapter 5: The Ultimate Showdown in the Spacetime Vortex

The instant the reverse scale shattered completely, pale blue light enveloped the entire Flood Dragon Hall. The water mirror on the floor became countless spacetime vortices, each connected to a different point in time. In some, a young Xiao Yan practiced his sword; in others, a future Zi Yan fought a giant beast. Some even showed fallen comrades smiling.

[System notification: Ultimate mechanism "Turbulent Spacetime Currents" triggered. All attacks will be randomly transported to the past or future. A target at the current point in time must be locked on to inflict damage!]

The flood dragon turned into a streak of silver-white light amid the turbulence, constantly darting between the vortices. His attacks came from different points in time-a dragon's breath from three seconds ago, a tail sweep from five seconds in the future, even a claw strike from a minute ago-leaving the group unable to guard against them.

"Focus on sensing the 'present'!" Xiao Yan closed his eyes. The Elemental Core's light resonated with the surrounding spacetime energy, and his consciousness seemed to merge with the long river of time. He clearly "saw" the flood dragon's position at the current point in time-behind the third vortex ahead and to the left!

"Zi Yan, ahead and to the left!" Xiao Yan's eyes snapped open, and the Elemental Core became a massive five-colored hammer that smashed toward the vortex. Zi Yan's Dragon Phoenix Flame followed at once. Fire and hammer struck the flood dragon's true body as he emerged from the vortex, and he let out an ear-splitting cry, his body engulfed in flames.

Wu Hao's Space-Splitting Axe cleaved through the vortex before him. He grabbed the flood dragon's wing and dragged him out of the turbulence. "Don't let him hide in time!" Lin Xiuya's sword, wrapped in Lightning Attribute Dou Qi, stabbed precisely into the flood dragon's wound. Lightning collided with blue blood, producing a blinding flash.

The flood dragon flew into a complete rage. The pale blue light around him suddenly turned black, and every spacetime vortex expanded in an instant, forming a giant vortex that devoured everything. "Let's all die in the cracks of time!" His body began to disintegrate, turning into countless threads of light that merged into the vortex.

"He's trying to take us down with him!" Xiao Yan threw the Elemental Core into the air. It erupted with an unprecedented radiance, its five-colored energy merging with the group's Dou Qi to form a stable sphere of energy at the center of the vortex. "Use our power to fight the spacetime distortion!"

Zi Yan's Dragon Phoenix Flame, Wu Hao's power of space, Lin Xiuya's sword intent, Lu Mu's mechanical energy... every power flowed into the energy sphere. Countless runes appeared on its surface, resonating with the Star Gravity Formation on the Cloud Ascending Steps. The giant vortex's pull gradually weakened, and the spacetime fragments it had devoured began to flow backward, gathering once more into the flood dragon's body.

"Is this... time repairing itself?" Lu Mu stared at the screen in shock. "Our energy is reversing his disintegration!"

Xiao Yan suddenly understood. "The true meaning of spacetime isn't control, it's protection! His reverse scale shattered, and his time core went out of control. We have to help him stabilize his energy!" He pressed his hand against the energy sphere, sending his spiritual power along the energy flow and into the flood dragon's body. "Trust us!"

A trace of struggle flashed through the flood dragon's golden eyes. At last, he slowly closed them, and his disintegrating body began to reform. When the giant vortex had completely dissipated, a new pale blue scale grew where his reverse scale had been. A line of ancient characters was carved into it: "Spacetime is ordered; all things return to the flow."

[System notification: The Cloud Sea Flood Dragon has acknowledged the inheritor and voluntarily surrendered the Spacetime Reverse Scale Fragment. Main quest complete!]

The flood dragon's body turned into a rain of light and merged into the clouds of the Cloud Sea Heavenly Palace, leaving only a palm-sized reverse scale fragment floating in the air. The fragment flew to Xiao Yan of its own accord and merged into his Elemental Core. A blue pattern appeared on the core's surface, with pale blue light flowing through it.

[System notification: Obtained Spacetime Reverse Scale Fragment. Spacetime Affinity talent unlocked. Obtained Heavenly Flame evolution item: Star Fire Seed. Next plane coordinates: Heaven Burning Ancient Domain, the place of origin of Heavenly Flames.]

Lu Mu's detector suddenly received a recording: inside a volcano in the Heaven Burning Ancient Domain, seven Heavenly Flames of different colors were burning. A black crystal floated at their center-the Heavenly Flame Origin.

"Looks like we're not far from evolving the Heavenly Flame," Xiao Yan said, gripping the Elemental Core tightly. The Star Fire Seed inside it grew gently warm, as though responding to the ancient domain's summons. Zi Yan's Dragon Phoenix Flame resonated with the core's light, and a trace of blue spacetime energy appeared in the golden-red flames.

Behind them, the Cloud Sea Heavenly Palace's bridges turned into rainbows and merged into the clouds. The group vanished into the spacetime rift leading to the Heaven Burning Ancient Domain, leaving only the five-colored light of the Elemental Core to trace an eternal path through the long river of time.